Internal combustion motor



Feb. 27, 1940. A D ADAMS, JR 2,191,638

INTERNAL COMBUSTION MOTOR Filed Aug. 9, 1938 Patented Feb. 27, 19402,191,638 v INTERNAL COMBUSTION Moron Amos D. Adams, Jr., Los Angeles,Calif. Application August 9, 1938, Serial No. 223,843

This invention is an internal combustion motor and more especially isconcernedwith structural features in the arrangement of the inlet andthe outlet valve pockets, and in the ignition devices and method, thatis for example the spark-plugs and the firing time with the main 7object of eliminating detonation in the cylinders.

In four stroke-cycle, combustion motors operating on the constant volumeprinciple and which have the valves in a side pocket the Ricardocylinder head made an advance in the reduction of detonation in motorsworking up to about a 6-to-1, compression ratio. At higher compressionsthe Ricardo did not effect a desired reduction of detonation but. use ofspecial fuel tended to reduce the objection, and at the same time animprovement was made by increased atomization of the liquid fuel, butde-.

tonation still occurred even with improvement of ignition means.

' It was found that the turbulence generated by the Ricardo; head wasthe most important factor in overcoming detonation and this ledengineers to develop combustion chambers with improved turbulenceeffects. It is observed that detonation occurs in larger combustionchambers more seriously than in smaller chambers when the compressionratio is above 6-to-1, due to the fact thatthe spark-plug flamepropagation is not reliably fast enough to ignite all of the chargebefore detonation occurs.

Therefore an. object of the present invention is to make improvements inthe motors of this class by the definite arrangement and form of thecombustion pockets, aside from the cylinder, as will promote turbulence,facilitate fuelmixture, overcome lag of fuel vapor flow, and will effectrapid flow of the ignited fuel flame from the point of ignition at thespark-plug or plugs as the case maybe, into the relative cylinder spaceand to the locale of the inlet valves. or

valve of the relative cylinder.

Another object is to; provide a combustion motor having isolated orsubstantially isolated pocket spaces for the inlet of fuel vapor and theexhaust of burnt gases of combustion in such combination and relation toeach other and to the relative cylinder of the motor as will overcomethe deficiency of other motors of the same general class which do notovercome detonation.

Theinvention consists of certain advancements in this art as set forthin the ensuing disclosure and having, with'the above, additional objectsand advantages ashereinafter developed and whoseconstruction,combinations and details of means, and the method, will be made manifestin the description of the herewith illustrative embodiments; it beingunderstood that variations may be made within the concept 4 Claims: (Cl.123191) of the invention as it is more directly claimed hereinbelow;

Figure 1 is a section axially of a piston cylinder and longitudinally ofthe related, superlaterally disposed exhaust pocket, with a sparkplugset therein, and

Figure 2 is a cross-section, through relative fuel inlet and gas exhaustpockets, on a plane above the end of the cylinder.

Figure '3 is a section similar to that of Fig. 2, showing a modifiedarrangement of the pockets,

and the preferred relation of two spark-plugs, one for each port.

Figure 4 is an axial section in which the pockets are directly above thecylinder end and have valves in the head.

, A Figure 5 is an axial section in which the pockets are directly abovethe cylinder end and provide a single inlet valve pocket flanked byexhaust valve pockets.

vFigure 6 is a cross-section through opposite pockets each opening intothe cylinder at proximate points decidedly off the cylinder axis.

Figure 7 is a cross-section, above the cylinder end, througha"super-lateral group of pockets all in communication with the cylinderat a zone well to one side of the cylinder axis.

In Figs. 1 and 2, there is arranged on a cyl-- inder block 2 a head 3having a wall 4 closing the end of the cylinder bore 5 with minimumclearance for the outwardly thrust piston 65. The end wall 4 opens byway of the inner end of an inlet pocket I to form a combustion space inthe head 3 somewhat laterally of the cylinder 2 in such a manner as toprovide at the inner end of I the pocket 1 a port or passageway B ofconsiderably less than one-half the cross-sectional area of the cylinder2; this port being formed by the rim of the cylinder at 9 and the innerend wall in of the pocket 1, Fig. 2. The pocket is provided with asuitable inlet valve l I, here shown as in the cylinder block, though itmay be placed otherwise if so desired, within the invention.

The pocket 1 is shown as somewhat elongate and of contracting form toterminate at wall H3 which is concaved to direct infiowing fueldownwardly and the inner end of thepocket 1' arranged along a partition[2 extending radially from the cylinder axis and which separates theinlet pocket 7 from a relative, flanking exhaust pocket or combustionspace I3 which is similar in details to the inlet pocket I. The exhaustpocket is provided with a suitable ignition device, as spark plug l6 andwith an exhaust valve H5. The pockets 1 and [3 may differ as to volumebut the arrangement shown is such that the incoming fuel vapor issubjected to much turbulence and effective mixture on suction stroke ofthe piston.

.01; thedischarge stroke the hot gas is directed for most efficientfunction toward the sparkplug I6 shown in Fig. 2 as positioned about onthe line of the edge of the exhaust valve lip nearest the cylinder boreso that the plug will be in the hottest zone in the exhaust passage. Itwill be seen, then, that when the fresh, thoroughly mixed charge of fuelis compressed in the pockets and I3, the dense vapor at the exhaustvalve l5 will be of highest temperature and willefiiciently ignite atthe instant the plug is energized. The flame will then kick back throughthe port H at the inner, reduced end of the tapered exhaust pocket l3and will fire the fuel in the cooler, inlet pocket 1. v

To further reduce detonation and promote firing, the partition i2 isprovided with a fire-port l8 for direct passage of a pilot flame fromthe zone of the spark plug IS in the hottest part of the exhaust pocketl3 over to the cooler intake pocket I.

In cases where the flame propagation is not fast enough to ignite thecompressed part of the fuel charge in the isolated pockets beforedetonation occurs, an adaptation as shown in Fig. 3 may be employed, inwhich a plug I6 is used in the exhaust pocket, as above set forth, andanother spark-plug 2D is shown in the intake pocket l arranged,preferably, towards the piston end of the pocket 1. When the plugsfunction simultaneously, ignition and flame propagation are concurrentin the two pockets; when plug l6 functions first the flame originates inthe pocket l3 and is followed by action of the plug 20 to set off thecharge in pocket I, which is the inlet for cool fuel: in this form ofthe invention the pilot flame port it is optional.

In Fig. 4 the inlet and outlet valves 2! and 22 are mounted, in a headblock '23, in respective ports leading into substantiallysphericalpockets on opposite sides of a partition 26 across the end of therelative cylinder so that the intake pocket 2G is separated from theexhaust pocket 25. constricted, circular port 2'l2l, respectively, withedges in a plane just clear of the piston 6 on full compression stroke.The spherical form of the pockets 2d-25 is highly conducive ofturbulence and fuel mixture due to the cross eddies set up as thecompressed fuel compacts into the pockets on compression stroke of thepiston, and conversely, on ignition of the fuel by the device 28 in thehot exhaust pocket 25, the flame spreads across thetop of the nearpiston and to the cooler inlet pocket 24. A pilot port 29 is useful inthis case to aid stimulation of the flame.

A variant of the spherical pocket form is shown in Fig. 5 where a fuelintake port 3|] opens at its bottom into the cylinder 2 and is flankedon opposite sides by exhaust ports 32 leading to respective exhaustpockets 33-34; each having an ignition device 35. The several pockets3l333--3d are diametrically provided with relative respective valves36-3l-38 opposite to relative ports to their cylinder 2; the pocketsbeing spherical in internal form, so that both fuel and exhaust streamspass through the pockets on the most direct axis without frictionincident to bent passageways, as between valves and the cylinder.

A further turbulence design of the motor is shown in Fig. 6 where aninlet pocket 40 leads laterally by end port 4| into the head end of Eachpocket opens into the cylinder 2 by a cylinder 2 above which the pocketoverlaps in directly opposite, symmetrical relation as to an exhaustpocket 42 which leads out from over the end of the cylinder 2 by port43; in this case the opposite pockets lie on a chordmaterially distantfrom the cylinder. axis so thata noticeable turbulence is set up overthe end face of the piston on its cycle strokes, and by the fuel flamegenerated by the ignition device 44 disposed at the inner edge of theexhaust valve 45. A pilot flame port [8 is useful in this form also.

A modification is seen in Fig. 7 wherein an exhaust pocket 48 is formedin the head 49 laterally of and radially from the axis of the cylinder 2and in communication therewith by way of the inwardly converged port 50overlapping the cylinder end; the face of the head! just clearing theout-thrust piston as shown in Fig. 1. Directly opposite sides of thepocket 48 are flanked. by outwardly flared intake pockets 5'l52 withrespective passageways 5354 to the cylinder bore. The fuel charge isprojected by the two pockets til-52 from one side of the cylinder, atthe head, to the other side on somewhat converging lines of flow to meetand. be commingled and to medially return toward the exhaust pocket lllbetween the intake pockets 5l52. The fresh charge is fired by anignition device 55 arranged in the exhaust pocket 48 near the inner orhottest edge of the exhaust valve 56. Ignition is here promoted in thecooler pockets til-52 by provision of fire-ports [8 in the wallsseparating the group of pockets.

What is claimed is:

1. An internal combustion engine having a piston cylinder and a meansfor igniting a fuel charge therein, and a cylinder head having a headwall lying across the cylinder'end for close clearance to its relativepiston and the said wall being provided with a plurality of elongate,transverse, isolated, intake and exhaust combustion pockets for highcompression ratio, and said pockets having isolated port portions, inthe said head wall, f overhanging the near end of the cylinder bore andboth being on the same side of the cylinder; said ports being closelycontiguous 2. An engine as in claim 1, and the ports terminating side byside within a half circle across the end of the cylinder bore; wherebyto cause tangential and circuitous flow. of gaseous fluids to and fromthe cylinder and the pockets.

3. An engine as in claim 1, the inner ter-' minal wall face of saidisolated intake and exhaust pocket ports being concaved and faced towardthe cylinder end for a smooth arcuate, bend of the expanded gases andflame from the pockets.

LA motor of the class'described having a cylinder and a head withshallow, transverse, elongate, isolated'combustion pockets in 'end toend relation as tothe cylinder; the pockets being both on one and thesame side of the cylinder, and having ports to the cylinder, both portsbeing circumscribed in one andthe same half circle area across thepiston end projected, and

